Looking out across the English Channel, Cornelia Parker’s sculpture the Folkestone Mermaid might just become the town’s first iconic artwork. Chris Price caught up with her ahead of the Folkestone Triennial.

The first Folkestone Triennial in 2008 was undoubtedly a success. It boasted thoughtful and poignant works including Mark Wallinger’s Folk Stones and Tracey Emin’s Baby Thing.

None of them had the iconic wow factor though. None had the feeling of being a landmark.

This year that has changed with Cornelia Parker’s nod to Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid. Her sculpture on the end of the Stade, overlooking Sunny Sands beach, might just have given the Folkestone Triennial arts festival the talisman it has been looking for.

“I have had a desire for a long time to do something with the Copenhagen Mermaid,” said Cornelia, 54. “I’ve used lots of famous mermaids over the years and this one is very famous. It has an enigmatic charm and people love it.

“The theme for the Triennial is A Million Miles From Home and I thought that Folkestone is a port a bit like Copenhagen. Also Carl Jacobson who commissioned the Little Mermaid had been to Folkestone in his life and I suddenly thought it would be great to create a landmark for Folkestone that was synonymous with the town.”

Folkestone’s bronze sculpture was created using the body of Folkestone mother Georgina Baker, who was selected from 50 applicants to be the subject of Cornelia’s contribution to the three-month art festival, beginning on Saturday, June 25.

“It is an echo of the Little Mermaid using a real person rather than a fictional one” enthused Cornelia, pictured right. “I used her real body so that nothing was modelled. It was a moment in time and she coped with the casting incredibly. It was a very arduous process. She had to sit on that rock for hours.”

It took a day for Cornelia to take the casts required for the statue from Georgina.

Painting quick setting latex on to her body and then plastering over the top, Cornelia cast Georgina’s back first, then did her front, legs and arms and finally her head. All the while Georgina had to sit motionless, striking the same pose on a granite rock.

“The great thing about Georgina is she is very physically fit because she does aerobics and swimming. A lot of that physical strength came through in her pose. She was more up to the task than anyone.

“I was talking to her all the time to make sure she hadn’t fainted. When we did the front she started to feel faint because the plaster heats everything up.

“It was an enduring feat for her but the results were worth it.”

An artistic piece in its own right, Cornelia is keen to point out that the most publicised installation of this year’s Triennial is by no means a gimmick.

“The history of art shows all kinds of references so this is not a copycat. It is echoing history.

“It is called the Folkestone Mermaid because it is of a lady from Folkestone. The way she stares out to see is as if she is making eye contact with the Copenhagen sculpture.

“It doesn’t take anything away. Rather than being decorative it has its place in history. It is part of a continuum.”

The Folkestone Triennial runs from June 25 to September 25.

For full details of all the 19 exhibits commissioned for the Folkestone Triennial, click here.